The Moon arrived at New Phase at 4 am this morning, which means that conditions are perfect for catching the Bootid Meteor Shower during its peak overnight tonight, Friday, June 27th. The constellation Bootes, which lends its name to this meteor shower, is overhead all night, so all you need is a comfortable setting in the dark where you have a full view of the sky overhead~the meteors can be seen anywhere throughout the sky.
By contemporary convention, this meteor shower is caused by the trail of stuff left in the wake of Comet Pons-Winnecke, originally discovered by French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons in the year 1819. Pons is the most prolific comet discoverer in history, with 37 total discoveries to his credit.
The constellation Bootes, which lends its name to tonight’s meteor shower, includes one of humanity’s oldest known named stars: Arcturus. To find Arcturus, start with the Big Dipper where it appears overhead, and follow the arc of its handle. In other words, “Follow the ‘arc’ to Arcturus”.